fm Dar, Australian counterpart discusses regional tensions, stronger bilateral ties

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Australian Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) 2026 in Manila on Thursday, where both sides expressed concern over the recent escalation in the region and emphasized diplomacy, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.

Dar arrived with his delegation in Manila on Wednesday and is scheduled to attend the ARF plenary as well as hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts on the sidelines of the forum.

According to the FO, the two foreign ministers reviewed bilateral relations between Pakistan and Australia and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen cooperation through regular high-level engagement.

“The two leaders discussed Pakistan-Australia bilateral relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen cooperation, including through regular high-level engagement,” the State Department said in a statement on X.

Dar and Wong also exchanged views on the latest regional and international developments during their meeting. The FO said Wong appreciated Pakistan’s “constructive role in promoting dialogue and de-escalation”.

Both sides also expressed concern over the recent escalation in the region, stressing that “dialogue, diplomacy and respect for international law remain essential to achieving lasting peace, stability and security,” according to the statement.

Omani Foreign Minister

Earlier, Dar met Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, where the two sides agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and international developments, the FO said.

According to the FO, the two foreign ministers expressed satisfaction with the “positive trajectory” of Pakistan-Oman relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

“They agreed to further strengthen cooperation through high-level exchanges, increased trade and investment, people-to-people contacts, stronger business-to-business links and continued coordination in multilateral fora,” the FO said in a post at X.

The two ministers also discussed the latest regional and international developments during their meeting.

Read: Dar urges ADB to expedite financing of ML-1 rail project

The FO said the Omani foreign minister appreciated Pakistan’s “constructive role in promoting dialogue, de-escalation and regional peace and security”.

Both sides also expressed concern over recent developments in the region and stressed “the importance of maintaining the ceasefire, respecting international law and working towards lasting peace and stability in the region”, according to the FO. The two ministers agreed to remain in close contact, the statement added.

On his first full day in Manila, Dar held a series of diplomatic engagements ahead of the ASEAN Regional Forum ministerial meeting. He met senior officials of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the bank’s headquarters where he urged the lender to expedite financing of Pakistan’s Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project and reaffirmed their partnership of more than six decades and discussed expanding cooperation in various sectors.

Dar also held separate meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rehman. During his talks with Lavrov, the two reviewed Pakistan-Russia relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in trade, energy and connectivity. In his meeting with Rehman, the two ministers reviewed what the Foreign Office described as the “positive trajectory” of Pakistan-Bangladesh relations and reaffirmed their commitment to building on the momentum created by Dar’s visit to Bangladesh last year.

The week-long summit, which runs until July 24, brings together foreign ministers and top diplomats from ASEAN nations and major powers to discuss issues surrounding geopolitical challenges, energy supplies, trade, food, security cooperation, the Myanmar civil war and the five-point consensus, as well as the consequences of the US-Iran conflict.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the ASEAN-led meeting in the coming days and may meet on the sidelines. Among others, participants include India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Russia, Great Britain and the EU.

Southeast Asia, a major oil importer with a combined gross domestic product of $3.8 trillion, is highly exposed to the supply crisis and has sought to speed up an ASEAN oil-sharing mechanism to cushion the impact.